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The secret of modular design: Why does this design make the system so flexible?
In today's rapidly changing technological environment, modular design is gaining more and more attention. The design concept is to divide a system into a series of smaller parts called modules (such as a modular process carriage), which can be independently created, modified, replaced or combined with other modules. exchange. The characteristics of modular design are functional division and the use of clear module interfaces and industry standards to ensure compatibility between different modules.
Modular system design is not just about breaking the system down into components, it also allows for flexible adjustments in multiple dimensions such as functionality, cost or operation.
Features of modular design
The key to modular design is to provide scalability and reusability. Such designs typically focus on limiting the life of the design and demonstrating its flexibility in at least three dimensions: functionality, cost, and operation. From the perspective of practical applications, some product platforms (such as automotive platforms or USB interfaces) are examples of modular design. They can enhance the functionality of the overall system by changing different modules.
However, modular design offers many advantages, such as lower costs, improved interoperability, shorter learning time, flexible design, and the ability to simply plug in new modules without replacing the entire system. The upgrade is done by a team, but there are challenges.
The complexity of the design and the background knowledge of designers and engineers are major constraints to modular systems, which requires the participation of design experts and product strategy experts.
Applications in various industries
In the automotive industry, modular design allows certain components to be upgraded without affecting other components. For example, many car models offer a basic version, and customers can choose to purchase a more powerful engine or more advanced audio equipment. This design is not only convenient for consumers, but also brings profits to manufacturers.
In architectural design, a modular building is usually composed of generic modules that are manufactured in a factory and assembled on site. This design allows the building to be expanded as needs increase, and can also be reconfigured without affecting the overall structure. For example, an office building could have interior walls added or moved as needed, or even converted into retail space.
In computer hardware, modular design is reflected in various replaceable components, such as chassis, power supply units, processors and graphics cards. This design allows users to easily upgrade their devices without having to replace the entire computer.
Not only that, modular design has also entered the field of smartphones, such as Project Ara, which allows users to choose and replace different components of smartphones.
Integration of digital twins and modular design
Product lifecycle management is a strategy designed to effectively manage information related to a product and its modules. The researchers found that combining digital twins with modular design can significantly improve product lifecycle management, which also means that future expansion potential and update needs should be considered during the design phase.
As modular design becomes more prevalent in the marketplace, the opportunities to create significant competitive advantages through this approach increase. Does this mean that most designs will move towards modularity in the future?
